1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a system for adhering a continuous substrate to a mounting surface for telecommunication cabling applications that includes a segmented pressure sensitive adhesive layer.
2. Background
Several hundred million multiple dwelling units (MDUs) exist globally, which are inhabited by about one third of the world's population. Due to the large concentration of tenants in one MDU, Fiber-to-the-X (“FTTX”) deployments to these structures are more cost effective to service providers than deployments to single-family homes. Connecting existing MDUs to the FTTX network can often be difficult. Challenges can include gaining building access, limited distribution space in riser closets, and space for cable routing and management. Specifically, FTTX deployments within existing structures make it difficult to route cables within the walls or floors, or above the ceiling from a central closet or stairwell, to each living unit.
Conventionally, a service provider installs an enclosure (also known as a fiber distribution terminal (FDT)) on each floor, or every few floors, of an MDU. The FDT connects the building riser cable to the horizontal drop cables which run to each living unit on a floor. Drop cables are spliced or otherwise connected to the riser cable in the FDT only as service is requested from a tenant in a living unit. These service installations require multiple re-entries to the enclosure, putting at risk the security and disruption of service to other tenants on the floor. This process also increases the service provider's capital and operating costs, as this type of connection requires the use of an expensive fusion splice machine and highly skilled labor. Routing and splicing individual drop cables can take an excessive amount of time, delaying the number of subscribers a technician can activate in one day, reducing revenues for the service provider. Alternatively, service providers install home run cabling the full extended length from each living unit in an MDU directly to a fiber distribution hub (FDH) in the building vault, therefore encompassing both the horizontal and riser cables with a single extended drop cable. This approach creates several challenges, including the necessity of first installing a pathway to manage, protect and hide each of the multiple drop cables. This pathway often includes very large (e.g., 2 inch to 4 inch to 6 inch) pre-fabricated crown molding made of wood, composite, or plastic. Many of these pathways, over time, become congested and disorganized, increasing the risk of service disruption due to fiber bends and excessive re-entry.
In addition, further physical and aesthetic challenges exist in providing the final drop to and from each individual living unit. Also, because of their size, many conventional indoor optical network terminals (ONTs) are often placed in the closets of living units out of normal view. This type of arrangement requires that a service provider run new cabling (such as coaxial cables, category 5 cables, and others) from the closet to the existing wiring in the living unit to activate the ONT to provide service. As newer ONTs have become smaller in physical size, they can be placed outside of closets and in main living areas requiring the drops to be run further into the living space of the living unit.
A conventional system for providing a final drop that is installed in a room, such as living unit of an exemplary MDU, single family home, or similar residence, is described in U.S. Patent Application No. 2011-0030190 and is shown in FIG. 1. System 100 comprises one or more point-of-entry units 180 which are mounted over or onto at least a portion of the duct 110 that houses at least one terminated drop fiber. The point-of-entry is located at an access location point within the living unit (i.e. on a living unit wall 103) to provide access to the horizontal cabling provided within the MDU.
The terminated drop fiber(s) can be carried from the point-of-entry unit 180 to an anchor point, such as wall receptacle 190, via low profile duct 110. The wall receptacle 190 receives the drop fiber(s) and provides a connection to an optical network terminal (ONT) 195.
A conventional low profile duct is 3M™ One Pass Mini Fiber Pathway, available from 3M Company (St. Paul, Minn.) and is shown in FIG. 2. The low profile duct 110 includes a conduit portion 112 having a bore 113 to accommodate one or more communication lines 105 and flat flange structures 115 extending laterally from the conduit portion to provide support for the duct 110 as it is adhered to a wall or other generally flat surface via an adhesive layer 118 disposed on the bottom surface 116 of the low profile duct's main body and/or flanges 115. Low profile duct 110 is made of polyvinyl chloride and has a lateral dimension from about 5 mm to about 30 mm, and a height of less than about 2 mm to about 10 mm.
A less bulky, less obtrusive, and more aesthetic system for routing fiber within a living unit is desired so that the impact to the aesthetics of the living unit is minimized.